Perforating and marking machine



Jan. 2, 1951 s. WAXELBAUM PERFORATING AND MARKING MACHINE Filed March30, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet l m I [2 E 2 llml a INVENTOR SIDNEY WAXELBAUM,

ATTO RNEY Jan. 2, 1951 s, WAXELBAUM 2,536,333

PERFORATING AND MARKING MACHINE Filed March 30, 1948 '2 Sheets-Sheet 2ATTO R N EY Patented Jan. 2, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

This invention relatzs to cloth-piercing or marking machines in which afast rotating piercing tool in the form of a long drill or needle is feddownwardly through a stack of cloth or fabric. The piercing tool havingbeen withdrawn from the stack leaves a hole in the cloth small enough tobe harmless to the cloth yet large enough to remain visible as a markfor further operations such as the placing of a button or the like atthe point of the mark; That is to say, a stack of cloth is thus markedby a stroke of the piercing tool whereupon each marked piece of thestack may then be subjected to individual operations in which the markserves as a guide or expedient.

A marking machine or unit of the type herein contemplated comprises ahollow main post or standard rising from a base upon which post isvertically slidable although secured against rotation a bracket uponwhich a power-driven piercing tool is mounted. The piercing tool isdirectly coupled with a motor which has a vertically disposed rotaryarmature axis and is unitary with the bracket. Upon the base areprovided guide means encircling the lower free end of the piercing toolwhen the tool is in its topmost position.

A spring provided within the post normally holds the bracket in itsupper limit position upon the post and balances the weight of thebracket and its accessories. This unit is placed atop a stack of thematerial or cloth at a predetermined marking point, and. the bracket ismoved downwardly against the pressure of its supporting spring as thepiercing tool is rotating and penetrating the stack of material. Thebracket is then allowed to rise upon the post withdrawing the piercingtool from the stack whereupon the unit may be shifted to anotherpredetermined point upon the stack to effect another piercing thereof.

Since the piercing tool or needle must be relatively thin it isnecessarily limited as to its free length because of the verticalbuckling forces acting upon it and. tending to deflect it from itsstraight vertical path. Accordingly this limits the height of the stackthat can be penetrated by a stroke of the tool.

If excessively long the piercing tool may veer off its straight verticalline of progress thus increasingly displacing the marking point in theconsecutive pieces of cloth as it proceeds through the stack ofmaterial. In this way the needle or tool may be subject to excessivebending or buckling forces.

However, the permissible length of the piercing tool must be consideredalso in relation to its high speed of rotation and the dynamictransverse forces set up thereby. That is to say, if an excessive lengthof the tool even though guided at its lower end be subjected to highspeed rotation, it may develop deflections of its intermediate portiondue to centrifugal forces which together with the inherent vibratorycharacteris tics of the tool and with the vertical buckling forces maylead to the shattering of the tool. Hence, the use of long thin piercingtools, although desirable, involves the risk of breakage with theattendant danger from shattered flying fragments to the operator.

Indeed, the longer and thinner the piercing tool, the more its vibratorycharacteristics will approach a critical point relative to its speed ofrotation, where the danger of breakage may become greatly enhanced.Therefore, piercing tools of a diameter on the order of .030 to .050inch yet of a desirable practical length have not been used because ofthe aforementioned risk to the operator. In other words, whereas amaximum length of the piercing tool is desirable as a matter of savingtime and labor by making possible the handling of stacks of material ofmaximum height, the choice of the length of the tool has been limited bythe foregoing factors.

This problem is well illustrated by the fact that with the advent anddevelopment of modern synthetic fabrics such as nylon, viscose rayon,inyl, polyethylene, a piercing tool is desired that produces thesmallest possible hole that still meets practical marking requirements,for the reason that piercing tools of larger diameter either burn orfuse or weld layers of fabric together at their high speed of rotation.Marking machines heretofore available have been ill-suited for thispurpose because of their inability to produce a small enough hole at thenecessary high rotary speeds for a long enough stroke of the piercingtool.

It is among the objects of this invention to make possible the use ofpiercing tools of a comparatively very small diameter although ofrelatively great length-in other words, to make possible a high ratio oflength to diameter which was heretofore considered impracticable orhazardous.

Another object is to provide a machine which combines a maximum lengthof stroke of the piercing member, even though that member be ofunusually small diameter with a minimum overall height and greatcompactness of the machine.

I attain these objects by providing a vibration- 3 dampening stabilizingmember encircling the intermediate portion of the piercing member, andmounting means for the dampening member carried by and verticallyyieldable relative to the motor so as to slide upwardly along thepiercing member toward the motor when the piercing member is beinglowered. This protects the piercing member against breakage due topotential deflection from transverse forces and due to potentialvibrations.

According to one feature, a stabilizing device is removably attached tothe motor comprising a downwardly extending or depending or invertedvertical post, a stabilizing member or collar in which the piercing toolrotates and which is shiftable up and down upon the inverted postalthough secured thereon against rotation. A compression coil springsurrounds the inverted post and urges the stabilizing member into itslowermost or lower end position thereon while the lower end of thepiercing member is guided in a primary stabilizing member mounted uponthe base.

More specifically the inverted post is unitary with an inverted footingor split clamping collar by means of which it is attached to the lowerend portion'of the motor. That is, the clamping collar' is tightenedaround the lower bearing portion of the motor.

According to another feature the motor-supporting bracket which isslidable upon the standard is provided with a downward cylindricalextension hugging the standard, and which by its length effectivelyguides the bracket thereon. This extension is shaped in such a manner asto serve as a handle for the operator. This serves the triple purpose ofproviding elfective guiding length for the bracket, of having thedirection of force exerted by the operators hand coincide with thevertical axis of the standard, as well as to minimize the structuralheight of the machine.

More specifically, the lower end of this handle abuts upon an adjustablestop ring surrounding the foot of the standard.

According to one embodiment a yieldable auxiliary stabilizing member ismounted upon and carried by the movable bracket while a primaryyieldable stabilizing member is unitary with the main base. The primarymember is vertically movable upon a pair of or upon two or more guideposts and is normally urged into an upper limit or upper end positionthereon by compression coil springs surrounding the guide posts. Theauxiliary stabilizing member descends together with the rotary piercingtool while the primary stabilizing member remains stationary and spacedfrom the main base of the machine. When the piercing tool is in itstopmost position, a lower portion of the tool extends through anddownwardly from the primary stabilizing member. That is to say, when inits topmost position it is guided by the two stabilizing members at tWointermediate points of the exposed length thereof, that is at an upperand lower guide point. As the piercing tool progresses downwardly theupper or auxiliary stabilizing member is arrested by the primary orlower stabilizing member. The tool then progresses further until theslack or vertical lost motion between the auxiliary member and thebracket has been absorbed, at which point the primary member due toengagement by the auxiliary member begins to shift downwardly togetherwith the piercing tool to the end of its available vertical movement andthus to the end of the stroke of the piercing tool.

That is to say, a spring power provided to urge the auxiliarystabilizing member downwardly is so dimensioned as to yield to superiorspring power urging the primary member upwardly. In this way the twostabilizing members yield sequentially during the downward progress ofthe piercing tool.

A'machine constructed according to this invention combines a maximumlength of the piercing member even though of unusually small diameter,with a minimum overall height and great compactness of the machine. Inthat machine the auxiliary stabilizing member extends downwardly fromthe lower end of the inverted attachable post upon which it is slidable,while the inverted post itself due to the manner of its attachment isdisposed significantly close to the axis of the piercing member foreffective guidance thereof, and indeed disposed within the distancebetween the upright posts that guide the primary stabilizing member.Great compactness is attained of the parts relative to one anotherwhenthe piercing member reaches the lower limit of its stroke, along withmaximum efiective length of its piercing stroke.

These advantages are due to what may herein be called a telescoping ornest ng relationship of the parts, whereby the length of a chuck thatholds the piercing member coaxial with the motor shaft overlaps with thelength of the auxiliary stabilizing member, while the length of thestabilizing member as well as the length of its inverted post in turnoverlap with the length of the vertical posts that gu de the primarystabilizing member. This nesting of the parts for achieving compactnessis carried even further by allowing the lower end of the inverted postto extend into and lodge in an opening provided in the base or foot ofthe machine. This lower limit position of the parts is also definedmechanically due to the bottom face of the bracket handle abutting uponthe top face of the adjustable stop ring at the foot end of thestandard.

The invent-on possesses other objects and fea tures of advantage, someof which with the foregoing will be set forth in the followingdescription and in the claims, parts will be identified by specfio namesfor convenience, but they are intended to be as generic in theirapplication to similar parts as the art will permit. In the accompanyingdrawings there has been illustrated the best embodiment of the inventionknown tome, but such embodiment is to be regarded as typical only ofmany possible embodiments, and the invention is not to be limitedthereto.

The novel features considered characteristic of my invention are setforth with particularity in the appended claims. ever, both as to itsorganization and its method of operation, together with additionalobjects and advantages thereof, will best be understood from thefollowing description of a specific embodiment when read in connectionwith the accompanying drawings in which 7 a Fig. 1 is a part-sectionalside view of the ma: chine representing one embodiment thereof, andshowing one stabilizing member unitary with the motor or movable bracketportion of the machine, and'another stabilizing member unitary with themachine base.

Fig. l is a detail view with parts drawn apart to illustrate the mannerof detachably mounting the upper stabilizing device. r

The invention itself, how- I Figs. 2, 3, and 4 show sequential operatingconditions of the Fig. 1 machine as they occur during the downwardstroke of the piercing tool.

The machine in the Fig. 1 embodiment comprises a base or base plate I0having a socket portion or footing H in which is rigidly fastened a mainpost l2 upon which is vertically slidable a sleeve or bracket member l3formed with a cylindrical handle portion l4. This bracket 13 isvertically slidable upon the post 12, its movement being limited by alower adjustable stop 15 and an upper end stop 16. The post I2 is hollowand encloses a compression coil spring It which urges the bracket memberl3 into its upper limit position upon the post I2. The post l2 may be ofsquare cross-section, and the sleeve-like handle portion 14 may becorrespondingly shaped so as to be secured against rotation upon thepost l2.

Fixedly attached to the bracket l3 and carried thereby is a motor llwith its armature axis vertically disposed. This motor is indicated ascomprising a housing body portion 18 and a lower end plate l9 fastenedthereto and having a bearing portion or hub 23 from which extendsdownwardly the lower end portion 2| of the armature shaft. To this endportion of the armature shaft is fastened a chuck 22 removably holding along needle-like piercing tool 23. By lowering the motor and bracket l3upon the post I2 the piercing tool may be advanced through opening l0 inthe base It! to penetrate into a stack of cloth indicated at T. A flatmember or finger or stripper Ni is fastened to. the top face of base lilas by screw 19 so that its free end portion overhangs extending radiallyinto the opening Ill The flat member lil has a slot or orifice [0through which the piercing tool 23 passes.

The piercing tool 23 is guided by an upper depending stabilizing device24 unitary with and attached to the motor ll, as well as by a lowerup-standing stabilizing device 25 unitary with and fixed to the baseIll.

The upper stabilizin device 24 comprises a split clamping collar 26tightened around the hub portion 29 of the motor as by a clamping screw21 whereby the collar is removably fastened to the motor I 'l. Rigidlyextending from the collar 23 is an inverted or depending auxiliary guidepost 28 having a groove and key sliding connection with a stabilizingmember 29, the groove being visible at 29 whereby the member 29 issecured against rotation upon the guide post 28 although verticallyslidable thereon. The member 23 has at its lower free end a head or stop39 defining the lower limit position of the member 29. The member 29consists of a more or less vertical intermediate or body portion 3|having at its lower end an eye portion 3| a containing a bushing orinset 31 surrounding and guiding the iercing tool 23 and also having anupper end sleeve portion 32 surrounding and slidable upon the post 23 bymeans of the groove and key connection just mentioned. A compressionspring C1 surrounds the guide post 28 to normally urge the member 29into its lower end position upon the pest. The depending guide post 28has a base collar 28 formed with a downward extension or gauging rod 28adapted to determine a maximum compression of the spring C1 when theextension 28 engages the top face 28 of member 23, as will be furtherdescribed below.

The lower stabilizing device 25 comprises a pair of upright guide posts33 and 34 disposed symmetrically with respect to the piercing tool 23and fastened to the base In as by screws 35 and 36 respectively. Asaddle-shaped stabilizing or guide member 31 is vertically slidable:upon the guide posts 33 and 34.

The member 31 comprises in the intermediate or body portion thereof aneye 38 containing an inserted bushing 38 surrounding and guiding thepiercing tool 23, a pair of upwardly slanting arm portions 39 and 43extending symmetrically from the eye 38*, each arm portion terminatingin a sleeve porton 4| and 42 respectively whereby the member 37 isvertically slidable upon respective guide posts 33 and 34. Compressionsprings C2 and C3 surround the guide posts 33 and 34 respectively urgingthe member 31 into its upper limit position upon the guide posts, whichupper limit position is definedby head portions or stops 33 and 34--respectively provided at the upper ends of the posts.

With the bracket 13 in its topmost position in Fig. 1 it will be notedthat the lower end of post 28 is a distance V1 apart from the top end ofposts 33 and 34. At the same time the eye portion 3| of the stabilizingmember 29 is disposed about half-way between the chuck 22 and the eye 38of guide member 31.

Figs. 2, 3, and 4 show a sequence of characteristic operating positionsof the machine as they occur during a downward stroke of the piercingmember 23 penetrating into the stack of cloth T. Thus Fig. 2 indicatesthat the motor ll has been lowered by the operator to the extent thatthe piercing member 23 has penetrated a distance a into stack of cloth,although the auxiliary stabilizin member 29 still extends downwardlyfrom the lower extreme end of the inverted post 28. In Fig. 3 the motorH has been further lowered showing the piercing tool 23 as havingpenetrated a distance 22 into the stack, while member 29 has slid fromis post 28. In Fig. 4 the motor has been lowered to its lowermostposition incident to a penetration of the full depth 0 of the stack bythe piercing tool 23, the extreme point P of the piercing tool beingshown to have entered into a protective mat M provided at the bottom ofthe stack upon a work base or table W.

In Fig. 2 the motor l1 and bracket l3 to which it is fixed has beenlowered a distance d1 from its Fig. 1 topmost position sothat the upperstabilizing member 29 engages or touches the lower stabilizing member31, the springs C1, C2, and G3 at this time still being in their Fig. 1condition, that is of a length Z1 and 12 respectively. At this time thepiercing member 23 has penetrated a distance a into the stack of clothT. The distance V1 of Fig. 1 has now shrunk to the distance V2 in Fig.2.

In Fig. 3 the motor H and bracket 13 hasbeen lowered an additionaldistance d2 (see Fig. 1) from its Fig. 2 position. At this time thechuck22 just clears the bushing or inset 3 l in the upper stabilizing member29 incident to a compression of the spring C1 to a length 13. Theclearance is indicated at L, and is assured due to the extension 28engaging the face 28 of the member 29. The piercing member has nowpenetrated a distance b into the stack of cloth T. The depending post 28now has an overlapping relationship indicated by the distance V3 withthe upright posts 33 and 34.

In Fig. 4 the bracket l3 and its motor IT has been further lowered adistance (is at which time the guide member 31 has reached its point ofmaximum range as determined by the lower face of bracket l4 butting onthe upper faces of gauge [5. At this time the piercing member 23 haspenetrated the full available distance c into the stack while theinverted-auxiliary post 28 is noted to have an overlapping relationshipdesignated by the distance V4 with the upright posts 33 and 3E.

Indeed, the parts are now compactly associated with one another due towhat may be called a nesting or telescoping relationship of the parts,in which the length K1 of chuck 22 overlaps the length K2 0f theauxiliary stabilizing member 29, while member 29 together with invertedpost 2-8 in turn overlap the length of the upright posts 33 and 34 whichuide the primary or lower stabilizing member 31. In this overlapping"relationship the extreme lower end of inverted post 28 is noted to lodgewithin the opening 10 of base In. The inverted post 28 being attached tothe motor in the manner shown is disposed favorably close to the axis ofthe piercing member 23 as indicated by the distance X, so that theinverted post extends within the space between the upright posts 33 andas as defined by distance K3.

Furthermore, in Fig. 4 the lowermost position of the parts is such thatthe chuck 22, and the members 29 and 31 are close upon one another aswell as close upon the finger lo and thus close to the top face of stackT1 even as the lower end of inverted post 28 reaches the top face of thestack T through opening Hi This Fig. 4 end position of the parts is alsodefined mechanically due tothe bottom face F1 of bracket-handle Mabutting upon the top face F2 of adjustable stop or stop ring' 15. Itwill be noted G designates the total effective guiding length for thebracket 13, while H designates the length provided for accommodating theoperators hand. Thus, the handle utilizes vertical space available alongthe standard even though the parts in Fig. 4 may have reached theirlower limit nested condition at the end of a downward piercing stroke(see Fig. 4.)

What 1 claim is:

1. A piercing machine comprising a vertically disposed motor having anarmature shaft unitary with a chuck at its lower end and having abracket whereby it is vertically slidable' upon a standard rising from abase, characterized by a relatively lon and thin piercing member held bythe chuck; primary stabilizing means unitary with the base for guidingthe lower end of the piercing member termedi'ate portion of the piercingmember,

mounting means for the dampening member hav ing an inverted post fixedto and extending down Waidly from the 1ower end of the motor with atstop at its lower end, said dampening member being vertically slidableupon said post and extending downwardly from said lower end stop, andcompression spring means surrounding the post and urging the dampeninmember downwardly against said stop; the disposition of the parts withthe piercing member in its lowermost position being such that the chuck,the dampening member, the inverted post and upright posts all overlapwith one another in a manner whereby they assume nesting relationship; abracket naving a tubular downward extension surrounding the standard andshaped to serve as a handle overlapping with the upright posts when inits lowermost position.

2. A piercing machine according to claim 1, with the addition of avertically adjustable stop member surrounding the foot portion of thestandard and adapted to be abutted by said extension at the end of adownward piercing stroke of the piercing member.

SIDNEY WAXELBAUM.

nnrnrtnivcns CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 7 596,782 Mason' Jan. 4, 18981,316,027 Halbreich a Se t. 16, 1919 1,316,028 Halbreich Sept. 16, 19191,353,051 Laserson 11 is- Sept.- 14, 1920 1,603,337 Gory Oct. 19, 19261,831,313 Levedahl- NOV. 17, 1931 2,030,280 Vigliano Feb. 11, 19362,077,937 Komow' Apr. 20, 1937

